Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy: Amazon.ca: Frederick Clarkson: Books

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Book Description

What is behind the violence against abortion clinics, attacks on gays and lesbians and the growing power of the religious right?

Frederick Clarkson makes it clear that beyond the bombers and assassins who sometimes make news, is a growing, if not well understood, movement that encompasses Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition, the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon and the Promise Keepers--the lead agency of the so-called Christian men's movement.

Drawing on years of rigorous research, Clarkson exposes the wild card of the "theology of vigilantism" which urges the enforcement of "God's law" and argues for fundamentalist revolution against constitutional democracy. Contrary to popular belief, these figures are usually neither nuts nor alone.

ETERNAL HOSTILITY concludes with a challenge to leading neoconservative academics who attempt to blame much of the current culture wars on the legalization of abortion while ignoring the theocratic intentions of leading "conservatives."

About the Author

Frederick Clarkson is a widely published journalist, author and lecturer who specializes in the Radical Right.

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11 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting to Read and Very Informative, April 26 2003

By

Zhivago - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy (Paperback)

This is perhaps the best (and only) political book that I find interesting to read. It contained some brilliant anaylization of the hostility that exists for others from extreme Right-wing Christians who are NO different than the extreme Right-wing Islamic terrorists that rammed airplanes into the World Trade Center. However, due President Bush's religious allusions in his speeches, it almost becomes a sort of encourgement for the ways of the Right-wing extreme Christians who will do anything just to archieve their wantings (in which they use the veil of religion to defend). In this process, they commit extreme violence, often killings (very much against the Commandments, which seems VERY ironic to me) and in turn uses the Scirpture to defend them. These ironic actions only reflect on the foolishness of the extremsts in their rebellion (in this case killing)-without-a-cause. Indeed the extreme right-wing Christians remind me of facism (they want to rid the people whom they seem does not fit) and Hitlerism.

Overall, this book should be read by anyone interested in governments and politics and the relationship between religion, extreme nationlism, facism and the right-wing Christians.

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5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish The Talking Heads on TV Would Read This, Jan 3 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy (Paperback)

So-called social conservatives are given a pretty free ride on TV news programs, don't you think?

Have you ever heard a TV journalist use the word "theocracy" or "theocrat" when discussing the Christian Right? If they had read Eternal Hostility, they would know that the word theocrat is not an epithet, its a religious and political point of view held by many -- but certainly not all on the Christian Right.

Wouldn't it be helpful if Americans who think democracy and pluralism are good things, were informed that there are totalitarians in our midst and that they play important roles in influencing public life? Frederick Clarkson thinks so, and his very readable book is an excellent primer for the otherwise politically literate.

I was so glad to see that ABC's 20/20 recently had the good sense to feature his expertise in a segment about antiabortion terrorism. I hope we will hear more from him in the media.

I also I hope you will buy and read Eternal Hostility. If you do,you will never look at politics and political reporting the same way.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading, Jun 22 2001

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C. Brennan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy (Paperback)

This is one of those books where you find yourself talking back to the page. Clarkson presents a well-researched, well-documented history of American theocracy and its threat to the democracy -- and personal freedom -- we cherish so dearly in the US. He makes a strong argument for the history and preservation of the second amendment as it pertains to the separation of church and state. Our "founding fathers" were not the born-again christians Pat Robertson & Co. claim they were: Jefferson, Madison, Paine, Franklin, Adams et als were all deists. Making claims for Jesus in the constitution was specifically overruled at the Constitutional Convention. Clarkson points out the dangers inherent in eroding the wall of separation, all the more frightening in this day and age of "faith-based" social programs. The scariest point he makes over and over again is that when politicians and religious activists talk about prayer in schools and the role of religion in government, they mean christianity: not islam, not judaism, not earth religions, christianity only. That alone is reason enough to uphold the wall of separation.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Eternal Credulity
This is a pathetic example of propaganda produced by the left to help foster fear and hostility of any sort of religion that is not their own. Read more

Published on Dec 3 2003 by Enigma

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book before the next election, please
There are some books that forever change the way you see political reality. This is one of them.

In this short and accessible work, Clarkson shows that there are important... Read more